Community equipment service update

Published: 1 August 2025

NRS Healthcare, a major supplier of healthcare equipment to people who are being discharged from hospital or need support in their own homes, will no longer be providing this service.

Torbay Council is one of around 40 councils across England and Northern Ireland that is impacted by the closure of NRS Healthcare.

NRS provided our Community Equipment Service, which provided equipment for a prescribed, clinical need to support a person (both adults and children) in their own home such as beds, mattresses and mobility aids. NRS also provided the Technology Enabled Care Services (TECS) contract, which provided alarms, monitors, and other helpful daily living devices, many of which have a 24/7/365 alarm receiving connection.

Equipment may be provided to support someone with a short-term need while they recover from illness or longer-term permanent ill health.

Equipment is requested by clinical colleagues, based on the needs of the individual on assessment.

Millbrook Healthcare is providing an emergency interim service which starts today, Friday 01 August. It will essentially be a limited service.

Millbrook will provide key items and will build on the list of equipment over the coming weeks.

Millbrook will also carry out any emergency repairs needed to equipment.

Torbay Council’s commercial services team is working to secure a new, long-term contract with Millbrook to provide the full service that NRS provided.

If people in Torbay have any existing NRS equipment they no longer need, they should keep hold of it for now.

Much of the equipment is designed to be recycled and reused, which helps keep costs down. It also means that unused equipment can be given to someone else so they can remain independent in their home.

Torbay Council is working with Millbrook to identify how this equipment can be collected or returned.

Technology Enabled Care Service

Technology Enabled Care Service (TECS) is being transferred to a new provider, Livity Life, another national TECS provider affiliated with Millbrook Healthcare. If you have TEC at home, this will continue to be monitored by the same receiving centre, and you can continue to use it as usual. We will transfer your details to the new TECS provider as we transition from one to another; you will not notice a change in the function of your equipment. If you had a private arrangement with NRS, you will shortly be contacted by either Appello or Livity Life to discuss how your Direct Debit can be transferred.